Control-head for oil-wells



D. BREEDING.

CONTROL HEAD FOR OIL WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1920.

1,372,399, Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

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APPLICATION FILED FEB-16, I920.

Patented Mar. 22,1921.

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WI TA/ESSES fi m/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DELSON BREEDING, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

common-mun ron OIL-WELLS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mj 1921 Appllctaion filed February'16, 1920. Serial No. 858,812.

of Tulsa, in the county of Tulsa and State" of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Control-Heads for Oil-Wells, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to apparatus used in the drilling of oil wells and particularly to a control head, a purpose of my invention being the provision of a con trol head which permits the application and removal of the oil sealing device while the drilling tools and cables are suspended within the well without permitting the escapement of oil from the head.

It is also a purpose of my. invention to provide a-control head which allows of the complete opening thereof to permit the ready removal of the drilling tools and cable, and the entire closing of the head when the withdrawal of the tools and cable has been completed.

I will describe one form of control head embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing one form of control head embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 but showing in addition to the structure shown in Fig. 2 a standard form of sealing device.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the valves shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Referring specifically to the drawings, C designates a casing which as illustrated to advantage in Fig. 2 is formed w1th an upper aperture 15, a lower aperture 1 6, and at its ends with a pair of apertures 17 and 18. Communicating with the lower side of the casing 0 through the aperture 16 is a pipe P which is adapted to extend into the well and receive the drilling tool actuating cable K. as shown in. Fig. 3. A pipe P communicates with one end of the casing through the ap- I e-rture 17 and this pipe is adapted to be connected tothe pipe line for conveying the oil. from the well which passes upwardly through the pipe P and through the casing G into the pipe P. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the walls of the aperture 15 are shaped to provide a shoulder 15" which is grooved to receive a packing 15". Supported upon the shoulder 15 and contacting with the packing 15 is an oil sealing device designated generally at 0. As shown in Flg. 3 the sealing device 0 embraces the cable K and is designed to prevent the passage of oil through the aperture 15 at the same time allowing of the free longitudinal movement of the cable. The sealing device 0 is of standard construction and as it forms no part of the present invention, a detalled description of its specific construction is unnecessary. r

. As shown in Figs. 2 and V and V designate valves, and each of these valves comprises a stem 20 or 20 upon one end of whlch is formed a head 21 or 21. The head 21 of the valve V is formed atone edge with a U-sha ed recess 22, and as shown in Flg. 4, the sad 21 of the valve V is formed with a similar recess 22 at such a point that with the heads in the position shown in Fig. 3, the two recesses are in registry. As shown in Fig. 3, the valve V contacts on its outer face with one side of the interior of the casin C, while the valve V contacts with the ot ier side of the interior of the caslng C through the medium of a spacing block B which is secured to the head 21 by means of screws and a late A.-

This block B serves to maintain t e head 21 in proper spaced relation to the head 21 at the same time preventing the assage of oil between the valve V and t e casing. The valves V and V are mounted for move ment in the path of an are by means of stems 20 and 20*, the stem 20 being of tubular formation as shown in Fi 2 and rotatabl receiving the stem 20. he outer end oft e stem 20 is provided with a plurality of recesses 23 for the purpose of receiving a spanner wrench to eflect rotation of the stem in manipulating the valve head. The outer end of the stem 20 is slotted transversely at 24 for the reception of the spanner wrench in effecting rotation of the stem.

The stem 20 is also provided with a screw threaded socket 25 to which a suitable tool can be applied for operating the stem.

To prevent the passage of oil from the casing C through the joints between the plate L and the stems 20 and 20*, I provide stufiin boxes 'S and S of standard construction w ich are so arranged that irrespective of the position of the stems, seal is maintained.

Referring now to Fi 3, it will be se'en that the valves V and are in what may be termed an intermediate or semi-closed position wherein the recesses 22 and 22 are in registration to provide an opening through which the cable K is adapted to extend. 'In this intermediate position of the valves, the cable K is free to move longitudinally while at the same time the heads 21 and 21 completely close the opening 15 to prevent the passage of oil to the sealing device 0. A small quantity of oil may seep through the recesses 22 and 22*, but such amount is negligible and may be readily drained oil through a drain ipe D which is controlled by a valve D. I is to be particularly noted that in this semi-closed position of the valves the cable K is disposed centrally within the control head which is the normal position of the cable. The open position of the valves V and V is indicated in dash lines in Fig. 3 wherein their confronting edges are spaced apart a distance suflicient to allow the removal of the cable and tools carried thereby. The open position of the valves is determined by a pair of lugs G and G which are disposed upon opposite sides of the opening 16 in such manner that the heads 21 and 21 abut the same when in their open positions and prevent their further movement so that they .are maintained out of engagement with the cable K, thus eliminating the possibility of cutting the cable.

In the complete closed position of the valves V and V, the heads 21 and 21 are moved toward each other from the position shown in Fig. 3 so that the recesses 22 and 22 no longer register, thus completely closing the opening 15 and effectively preventing the passage of the oil upwardly through such opening. It will of course be understood that the completely closed position of the valves is only possible when the cable K is removed from the control head.

From the foregoing operation of the valves -V and V, it-will be clear that durin the normal operation of the drill cable the valves are in open position, the sealing device O preventing the passage of oil through the aperture 15. When it is desired to remove the cable K and the tools carried thereby, the valves V and V are moved to the semi-closed osition as shown in Fig. 3, whereu onthe sealing device 0 can be removed om the control head. As the valves in this semi-closed position allow the cable to maintain its central position within the an oil tight control head oil will not flow into the control head from the pipe P as the drilling tools han centrally within the well and thus preventt e upward flow of oil. After the removal of the cable and drilling tools has been effected, the aperture 15 may be compfletely closed by moving the valves V and to their completely closed positions as has been previously described.

In all control heads with which I am familiar, it has been heretofore impossible to remove or apply the oil sealing device in position upon the head without the oil gushing out through the aperture which the sealing device seals. This is due to the fact that the drill cable is displaced from its central position when the control head is closed thus throwing the drilling tools oil the center and thereby permitting the upward How of oil into the control head. As the valves V and V in their semi-closed position are ineffective to displace the cable and consequently the drilling tools, it will be manifest that the upward flow of oil into the control head will be prevented so that the sealing device may be freely applied to or removed from the controller head without the escapement of oil.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of control head embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A control head comprising, a casinghaving apertures formed therein, a pair of valves for controlling one of said apertures, said valves being mounted for oscillatory movement with one of the valves movable in a path below that of the other valve, and lugs formed interiorly of the casing for defining the open position of said valves to prevent closingof the other aperture.

2. A control head comprising, a casing having apertures formed therein, a pair of valves for controlling one of said apertures, said valves being movable in the path of an arc and in different arcs, one of said valves comprising a tubular stem, a head formed on said stem having a recess provided therein, the other valve comprising a stem rotatable within the stem of the other valve, a recessed head, and a spacing block carried by said head, and lugs formed interiorly of the casing for defining the open position of said valves.

3. A control head com rising, a casing having apertures formed t erein, and a pair of valves for controlling one of the apertures, said valves being movable in arcs of different and concentric cylinders, one of said valves comprisin a tubular stem and a head formed on sai stem having a recess provided therein, and the other valve comprising a stem rotatable within the stem of the other valve, a recessed head, and a spacing block carried b said head.

D LSON BREEDING. 

